Exterior Design Part 1

Exterior Design Part 1

Without the power to drive the spark of its blue LED, the Mystique 631 just looks like an undistinguished black hulk of metal when we first unpacked it, contrary to the depiction on its packaging. This is also probably why the bland and uniform black exterior was a bit of a letdown initially. The front door has a wavy curvature that reminds us of Cooler Master's Wavemaster chassis series but besides that, the front bezel hardly stood out without the charm of the LED light within. Of course, looks being subjective, you're are more than welcome to disagree with our opinion.

Cooler Master's press release seems to suggest that the simplicity of the design represents 'vast opportunity to expand your imagination'. The cynic in us says that sounds like a great idea to get the customers to do the work for them or an excuse for its plain appearance. Marketing lingo aside, Cooler Master does cater to the enthusiasts by including popular features like a transparent side window and blue LEDs at the front. If you're not feeling exhibitionistic, you can opt for a version without the window and just the plain metal side panel. However, the blue LED based front 120mm fan is standard issue. If you belong to those who have a stinging dislike for any flashy stuff on their case, but have a thing going for this Mystique 631, you would have to buy your own normal 120mm case fan to replace the standard one. Water cooling enthusiasts also have something to cheer about - there are two round drainage outlets at the back of the chassis. These holes allow the water piping to exit the casing, usually to an external radiator. However, its proximity near to the power supply unit does make us wonder if that area would be too cramped for easy installation.

Also, we were quite surprised at the weight of the chassis. Despite its mid tower proportions, the Mystique weighs only 6.3kg thanks to its completely brushed aluminum construction. The lightweight was a welcome change from the steel variety of the Centurion series and we enjoyed the ease with which we could move the casing around - until we found the loose front door popping open easily. Here was one of the biggest grouse that we had with the Mystique. Secured by two tiny and extremely weak magnets, its front door swings opens too easily. If you tilt the case, you would find that the magnets aren't even strong enough to hold the door against gravity's pull. This is hardly the first case that Cooler Master has designed with a front panel door, and having reviewed their older casings, we were puzzled as to why the magnetic catch wasn't made stronger.